Events
All events at the Arboretum are free. We welcome people of all abilities and are committed to facilitating a safe and engaging experience for all who visit. To view our accessibility practices, please visit our Accessibility page. To request services such as an interpreter, wheelchair, or other assistance prior to attending an event, please contact us as soon as you register.
Upcoming Events
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Dec 02Mar 31
Winter Wellness Walks
Take a brisk walk this winter and stay healthy and connected to the Arboretum at a time when the landscape is pared down to its beautiful bones. This 60-minute walk is similar to a guided tour, but with a faster pace, to keep your feet warm and your blood pumping! Winter Wellness Walks are geared to adults and led by trained Arboretum docents. Please dress appropriately for the weather including sturdy footwear.
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Dec 02Mar 31
Winter Guided Tours
Join us for a 60-minute tour through the Arboretum! View seasonal plant highlights and learn about Arboretum history from a trained docent.
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Dec 09
Foraging Walk: Tea Time at the Arboretum
Join us for a winter foraging walk to learn what wild plants can be foraged and brewed into tea. Visit some of the Arboretum's tastiest winter plants, from sweet birch and sweet fern to sassafras and spicebush. You may even get to taste some of the teas yourself!
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Dec 09
Great Horned Owl Walk
*Rescheduled from December 3.* Dusk in December is a perfect time to look and listen for Great Horned Owls, often heard calling throughout the Arboretum’s collections. Join Horticulturist Brendan Keegan to hear about the owls' breeding and nesting behavior, learn how to go owling ethically, and possibly hear and see a few owls as well.
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Dec 16
Nature Journaling: A Creative Exploration of the Winter Landscape
Bring your enthusiasm for the natural world and leave with a creative nature journal, inspired by the trees of the Arnold Arboretum. Nature journaling is all about expressing your curiosity and wonder through sketching, calligraphy, writing, or other forms of art-making. Tap into your creativity and let yourself be surprised by the diversity of forms on display in the winter landscape.
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Dec 17
Family Hike: Winter Solstice
Families need nature at all times of the year! We’ll go on a StoryWalk to learn how a little bird can bring back the Sun! Then we will go inside and make a paper model of an Eastern chickadee.
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Jan 06
Winter Bird Walk with Bob Mayer
Birders, beginning and experienced, are invited to join Bob Mayer on an easy 90-minute walk from the main Arborway Gate to the ponds and back. Come see the wide array of birds that make the Arboretum their winter home, and admire the Arboretum's woody plant collections along the way.
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Jan 13
Winter Bird Walk with Nature Man Mike
Embark on a birdwatching walk in the Arboretum's landscape with birder and wildlife photographer Michael Bryant, AKA Nature Man Mike. This two-hour walk is suitable for beginners as well as more experienced birders. Binoculars will be available to borrow on a first-come-first-serve basis, but you are encouraged to bring your own!
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Jan 16
Virtual Livestream Lecture: The Fascinating Feathers of the Sandgrouse
The birds that populate the Arnold Arboretum rarely have to go far to find water. In the deserts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, it's a different story, and the sandgrouse that lives in these arid environments has developed a fascinating adaptation to stay hydrated: these birds have a unique ability to absorb and hold water inside of their feathers. But how do their feathers hold water so efficiently? Dr. Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, has found the answer. Join Dr. Gibson for a lecture to learn about these fascinating birds and the science behind them.
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Jan 16
On-Site Lecture: The Fascinating Feathers of the Sandgrouse
The birds that populate the Arnold Arboretum rarely have to go far to find water. In the deserts of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, it's a different story, and the sandgrouse that lives in these arid environments has developed a fascinating adaptation to stay hydrated: these birds have a unique ability to absorb and hold water inside of their feathers. But how do their feathers hold water so efficiently? Dr. Lorna Gibson, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT, has found the answer. Join Dr. Gibson for a lecture to learn about these fascinating birds and the science behind them.
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Jan 27
Workshop: Botanical Cyanotype
**This program was rescheduled from November 26.** Make beautiful seasonal cards and prints using the alternative photography method known as Cyanotype. Participants will collect leaves and seeds in the landscape and arrange them on special paper to create a deep blue print with bright, ghost-white silhouettes. This historic photography method offers participants the ability to perform something that seems like magic.